Sunday, October 7, 2012

Welcome MA Church today

A drive home in the wee hours
in the morning after a modeling job… then a moment’s distraction and a twist of
Fate puts an end to one way of life for Ashley and opens the door to another.

Hey everyone! My name is M.A.Church, and
I’m part of the Carved in Flesh
anthology from Storm Moon Press. This anthology caught my eye because of the
subject matter. In a society that worships beauty and is filled with everyday
images of what’s ideal, I had to wonder what would happen to an internationally
well-known model who ends up scarred.

Then throw in his lover, Will—who
is a sports model. To make matters even more interesting, Will happens to have given Ashley an ultimatum before
the car accident: he wants an exclusive relationship with Ashley. The mere
thought of a commitment sends Ashley into a tailspin. And there you go, lol, a
swirling brew of pain, anger, fear, regret, and… one man’s determination not to
give up on the man he loves. In other words, Will has a hot mess on his hands,
lol.

This anthology, in a lot of
ways, strikes very close to home for me. Twelve years ago I had back surgery,
and I have a pretty big scar on my back. Granted, over the years it’s faded,
but when I tan in the summer, it’s noticeable. In my late teens and early
twenties I also modeled regionally. *Laugh* It wasn’t anything to write home
about, but modeling did teach me one thing. The old saying that models are
nothing more than ‘coat hangers’ is so very true.

My favorite scene in the story
is where Will and Ashley kiss on a beach. The message that comes through by the
end of the story is Scars fade, but love does not. There's so much truth
to that. The harder times of life might stick with us, but the ache of them
usually fades over time; true love doesn't fade away. I wholeheartedly believe
that, and it's where the title of my short story came from, too.

People often say that the true perfection in the human form
is in its imperfections. Scars are visceral reminders of a person's past, a
sign of an event that can never fade. Whether it was gained in combat, a
traumatic experience, or part of a ritual with a lover, scars are the ultimate
labels. They leave a permanent mark on the body and spirit that, one way or
another, change a person forever.

Excerpt:

One of Will’s strong hands managed to loosen itself from
Ashley’s death grip and brushed Ashley’s hair back from his face. “You’re in
the hospital. There was an accident, a bad accident. You were hit on the way
home two days ago.”

“Fuck me! Two days ago?” Ashley bit his lip as pain spiked
in his ribs. “How bad? Who hit me?”

“It was pretty bad. You have bruised ribs from the impact
with the steering wheel, your arm is bruised—not broken—and more bruises over
your body. I forgot the driver’s name. They hit you on the passenger side,
slammed you into a street light. Two people in the other car died.”

“Died? Jesus.” Every time Ashley tried to lift his hand to
his face, Will stopped him. “What’s wrong with my vision? Why can I only see
out of one side?”

Gripping his hand, Will hesitated. “You were struck so hard
your head hit the driver side window.”

Ashley gripped Will’s hand. There was more, he just knew it.
What little he could make out of Will’s concerned face told him that. “And?
Tell me, dammit!”

“The window busted.
There was glass everywhere. Oh God, Ashley, I’m so sorry. You were cut. On your
face… and—and… there’s going to be a scar.”